The Department of Disease Control yesterday warned against serving mourners dishes that will likely go off in the hot weather and cause food poisoning.
The department listed 10 things to avoid serving at mourning sites across the country, especially at Sanam Luang.
These included dishes with fish, especially clams, mollucs, and crustaceans, such as yam kung ten, a spicy salad of uncooked tiny freshwater shrimps, and yam hoi khraeng or yam thale, a spicy boiled cockle salad.
Vegetable salad, or salad phak, and khaoman kai, chicken with rice cooked in broth, were also among the list of dishes to avoid.
Those cooking food have been advised to pack cooked rice separately from cooked meat to reduce the risk of food spoiling quickly, which is liable to occur when food is packed together, said Dr Jedsada Chokdamrongsuk, department director-general.
Visitors, meanwhile, have been advised to eat dishes within two to four hours of preparation and should avoid eating food that smells bad or unusual, he said.
The Bureau of Epidemiology recorded 102,673 cases of food poisoning nationwide from Jan 1 until Oct 17, he said, adding that none of the patients had died.
During the same period, the bureau reported 939,529 cases of diarrhoea including four deaths, said the doctor.
For the 12 months of last year, the bureau recorded 129,638 cases of food poisoning in which all patients survived, he said.
The total number of diarrhoea cases recorded last year was 1.09 million including 12 deaths, he said.
The symptoms of diarrhoea and food poisoning are very similar. They can both induce vomiting, cramps, watery stools and sometimes fever, he said.
Those who develop these symptoms are advised to drink oral rehydration solutions (to replenish lost vitamins and salts, he said.
But if conditions do not improve and in the event blood or mucus is found in stools, patients are advised to see a doctor or visit a nearby health care facility, he said.
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has organised two zones for delivering foods to people coming to pay respect to the late King.
The southern zone, which is adjacent to the Grand Palace, is off-limits to cooking food, but will allow for food deliveries.
Cooking will be permissible in the northern zone, along with deliveries.
